Support services group WSP said this week that it was doing well because of strong performances in the USA and Sweden.

Pre-tax profit rose by one-third to 拢8.8m in the six months to 30 June, on a turnover of 拢169m, an increase of 12%.

Chief executive Chris Cole said: 鈥淲e are delivering improved results in a market that is relatively unchanged so we must be doing something right.鈥�

In the UK WSP is pitching for bigger projects as lead consultant and three months ago was appointed on the 拢350m Birmingham New Street station redevelopment, a mixed-use scheme in the city centre. It is working as leading masterplanner with John McAslan + Partners and Chapman Taylor as retail architects.

WSP is working on the redesign of the Freedom Tower in New York and the Shard of Glass tower at London Bridge.

The results did not come as a surprise to the market because WSP had issued an upbeat trading statement in July, in which it said performance would be better than expected.

As a result shares were little affected when the figures were announced on Monday, falling by less than half a per cent to 343.5p.

The company has been one of the best performers of 2005 so far, and shares have been rising steadily over the past two years.